


Cold Reality

by Terrasilvershade



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, I hurt them big time, M/M, Temporary Character Death, Wintering in Kaer Morhan, Witchers Have Feelings (The Witcher)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:39:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24996256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terrasilvershade/pseuds/Terrasilvershade
Summary: Geralt, Jaskier, and Eskel are traveling to Kaer Morhan when they are separated in an avalanche. Jaskier and Eskel are injured and have no choice but to make it back to the Keep, but Geralt is nowhere to be found. As the days pass, they must come to terms with the fact that Geralt, may not be coming back.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 15
Kudos: 77





	1. Chapter 1

The snow had come early that year. Not much had fallen in terms of how much Kaer Morhen got the whole season, but enough had arrived that it made traveling a bit cumbersome. Geralt, Eskel, and Jaskier were completing their last supply run to the village before it became impassable. The snow made it difficult to bring the horses up and down the mountain, so Eskel and Geralt carried large packs instead. 

The weather was still fairly warm, dropping below freezing during the heat of the day, so there was a fair amount of slush mixed in with the snow. This, unfortunately, meant Jaskier’s boots were nearly soaked through halfway back up the mountain. 

“Geralt,” he started, shaking the heaviest of the slush off himself, “remind me next winter to buy new boots.” 

“I _did _remind you. You were concerned about how the boots looked and did not purchase them.”__

____

“I have _standards _, Geralt.” Beside them, Eskel laughed while Geralt raised an eyebrow.__

______ _ _

“You two are all the entertainment I need all winter.” He shook his head, still laughing to himself. “Do you regret your decision now that your feet are cold and wet?” 

______ _ _

“Let’s see. Risk losing my toes or compromising my entire outfit; it’s an easy decision.” 

______ _ _

“Say that again in three hours when it’s still three more hours to the keep.” Geralt grumbled but did so with a slight smile. He had on several occasions, although he’d deny it, lent Jaskier his cloak when it got too cold or let him ride on Roach when they had been on the road for too long. He loved his bard and all his shenanigans. 

______ _ _

“We should be there before nightfall, as long as there’s no unexpected delays.” Geralt looked up at the sky, seeing the increasing cloud cover and looking at the snowbank in the ridges above them. Eskel met his gaze and looked up as well. 

______ _ _

“You worried about avalanches?” Geralt nodded. Jaskier looked up as well, not seeing anything different than the other snowbanks. 

______ _ _

“Are avalanches common around here?” Jaskier asked, feeling a little apprehensive walking next to the snow-laden ridge. 

______ _ _

“Not really. Not often at least,” Eskel replied, walking a bit more carefully now, which was encouraging. 

______ _ _

“I’d figure they happen a lot with all these ridges and rocks.” 

______ _ _

“They may happen later in the year but are incredibly uncommon around this time. That is, except that this year we have a lot of thick heavy snow.” Eskel nudged some of the ankle-deep slush with his foot. 

______ _ _

“There was that one bad avalanche when we were out hunting, remember? We clung to the tree trunks to avoid being swept away and buried. It nearly tore down the forest!” Geralt took a second and then nodded. 

______ _ _

“We were just boys back then, it was us, Vesemir...and one other boy. Younger than us, smaller.” Geralt's voice trailed off a little as he spoke, telling Jaskier all he needed to know about what happened. Eskel’s grim expression confirmed his suspicions. Well, he couldn’t let his two Witchers dwell on such sad memories and leave him to walk in awkward silence. 

______ _ _

“How long do you think Lambert will last before he starts this year’s prank war?” 

______ _ _

That got Eskel’s attention, brightly sharing his plans to hold his own in the annual wolf Witcher prank war. He went on to give Jaskier detailed instructions on how to make semi-permanent hair dye out of flowers so that one could dye someone’s hair bright red. Jaskier took mental notes, because this was valuable information when your partner had easily durable white hair, and offered his own plan on how to smuggle a chicken into someone’s room. Eskel was in the middle of giving Jaskier ‘helpful tips’ for getting a chicken into Kaer Morhan without Vesemir noticing when he suddenly stopped. He had gone completely still, as had Geralt, and Jaskier had spent enough time around Witchers to know what that meant. He shut his mouth and stayed perfectly still, ready to run when the threat presented itself. Then he heard the sound. A loud booming thwump followed by a series of crackles and rumbling. Oh no. 

______ _ _

“Run!” Geralt shouted, shedding his pack and breaking into a full sprint. Eskel and Jaskier were right behind him, although unfortunately Jaskier was not made to run at avalanche escaping speeds through ankle-deep snow. He tried to keep up with the Witcher’s but ended up slipping and falling on his face, knocking the wind out of him completely. Frantically, he tried to scramble to his feet, hearing his impending doom rushing towards him from the cliffs above. His slush soaked gloves couldn’t get traction on the ground and he was full-on panicking which made it even more difficult. Eskel, after shouting something to Geralt he couldn’t quite make out, ran back to him and lifted him over his shoulders before resuming the sprint to safety. Jaskier made the mistake of looking at the avalanche while on Eskel’s shoulder; several feet of white snow were barreling towards them like waves on the beach, carrying all manners of rocks and debris along with it. They had only made it a few yards before the first waves hit them, quickly turning the sprint across the snow into a battle for solid footing. And it just kept coming, wave after wave. 

______ _ _

“Eskel-“ 

______ _ _

“Don’t worry about it, we’re gonna be o-“ then the full force of everything hit. It knocked Eskel straight off his feet, sending Jaskier flying into the snow. He was being quickly swept away by the current and being pummeled mercilessly by the debris. Desperate to keep his head above the snow, he flailed his arms about as if he was treading water, only to be flipped over several times and becoming increasingly disoriented. Then, he slammed against something hard. He had been propelled face-first into a tree, thankfully one who seemed to be withstanding the onslaught. Jaskier wrapped his arms around the tree as best he could, knowing that was likely his one chance at survival. The tree creaked and groaned, especially when several large chunks of rock slammed against them, but it held firm. The snow level was up to Jaskiers neck now, pushing his face against the tree and holding him there. For a few moments, Jaskier thought that was how he was going to die, suffocated by the snow against a tree. And then, as suddenly as it started, everything stopped. The cold began to seep into his bones, his skin quickly going numb and his teeth beginning to chatter. Jaskier couldn’t move at all, minus his neck which wasn’t of much use to him with the tree in the way. 

______ _ _

“Geralt?!” He called out, trying to keep his chattering teeth from biting his tongue, “Eskel?! Anyone?!” Wiggling was pointless, but he tried to free his arms anyways. He could move his fingers and toes, if only that was any use to him at the moment. 

______ _ _

Once Jaskier was so cold he thought he would never be warm again, the adrenaline wore off completely and the pain started. Being hit with rocks had its consequences; dull throbbing pain from his back, right where his lungs were, and he had to grit his teeth when he took deep breaths. Now, any attempt at moving was met with blinding pain, so all Jaskier could do was sit there and try to stay awake, hoping that someone would find him before he froze to death. 

______ _ _

He knew you couldn’t fall asleep when you were this cold, it was one of the survival tips he had learned from Geralt over the years, but it was much harder to do in practice. His eyelids, which were dotted with flecks of ice, weighed tons more than they used to. He wasn’t even shivering anymore, he just wanted to not be cold. 

______ _ _

“G-Geralt?” Jaskier didn’t have the energy to call out anymore, it was barely a whisper between his blue-tinged lips. 

______ _ _

He thought he was gonna die against that tree, until a very desperate “Jaskier!” ran through the trees.

______ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eskel finds Jaskier after the avalance, injured and slowly freezing to death. Now he just has to get him to Kaer Morhan before its too late

“Eskel?” Jaskier thought he had imagined it, his mind playing one last trick on him before he passed, but then he heard the sound of hurried footsteps in the snow and there was a hand on his shoulder. 

“You need to stay awake, ok? I’ll get you out but you _need _to stay awake.” Eskel’s voice was strained, from what Jaskier couldn’t tell at that moment. He couldn’t even turn his head around to look at him.__

__“Are you hurt anywhere?” Jaskier tried answering but his mouth felt heavy and unresponsive; the only thing coming out was unintelligible nonsense. Eskel reached his arm around to Jaskier’s forehead._ _

__“Fuck, you’re cold. Don’t worry, it’s gonna be ok. We’ll get you warm soon.” He started digging out the snow around Jaskiers arms, finally freeing them after gods know how long._ _

__“Move your fingers for me, if you can.” Slowly, after Jaskiers half-frozen brain processed what was said, he flexed his fingers. Eskel sighed in relief._ _

__“Good, good. Not too far gone yet. Once I get you out I’ll give you my gloves, they’ll protect your hands better.” He continues to dig around Jaskier until both of his arms were freed. He then removed the snow covering Jaskiers back and Jaskier winced as his injuries were exposed to the cold unforgiving air._ _

__“Hurts?”_ _

__“Y...yeah.”_ _

__“I can’t get a good look at it from here, doesn't look like anything’s broken though.” He started moving more carefully, as to not cause any more unnecessary pain. “Does anything else hurt besides your back? Were you hit in the head at all?” Jaskier tentatively shook his head no. It was more a body-wide throbbing pain then something he could pinpoint, but he thought he would remember being struck in the head._ _

__“Good, that gives us some more time.” He continued digging out around Jaskiers back and under his shoulders, careful not to rub his hand on the wound._ _

__“How..bad?”_ _

__“Nothing that won’t heal. We’ll get you back to the keep and Vesemir will patch you up.” It sounded like he was more trying to convince _himself _that Jaskier would be ok.___ _

___Eventually, enough snow had been removed that most of Jaskiers torso was uncovered and he was able to move around a little. His body was slow to understand exactly what he wanted it to do but he was able to push himself up on his arms, trying to lift himself out._ _ _

___“Careful, don’t strain yourself.” Eskel, still taking care not to aggravate his wounds, wrapped his arm around Jaskier's chest and pulled, finally freeing him from the snow._ _ _

___That small bit of work was exhausting to Jaskiers poor battered body, and he felt his eyes close for a moment. Just for a moment. Eskel shook him awake in time, making sure Jaskier was looking him in the eye._ _ _

___“You _need _to stay awake for me, ok? If you fall asleep you’ll get too cold and you won’t make it.” Jaskier used what little strength he had to keep his head from falling forward, eyes drooping but staying open._ _ _ __

___“Talk to me, that’ll keep you awake.” Eskel had taken off his cloak and wrapped it around Jaskier's shoulders before checking him over for any other injuries. The cloak was wet and smelled faintly of goats but it was warmer than he was. Thank Meletile for Witcher body heat._ _ _

___“Thank...you. It’s warm.” He mumbled, still keeping his head up._ _ _

___“Oh! My gloves. Give me a minute and I’ll hand them over.” Jaskier couldn’t see what he was doing but it was a good minute or so before Eskel handed him a glove._ _ _

___It was made from sturdy black leather and was lined with some type of fur on the inside, too big for Jaskiers hand but wearable._ _ _

___Frighteningly, there was blood on it. He was about to ask if it was his or Eskels blood when Eskel winced in pain and swore under his breath. Jaskier turned himself to see what was wrong._ _ _

___His left arm was coated in blood, all the way from his bicep to his wrist. His armour had either been torn away or he cut it himself, because his arm was bare from the shoulder. There was a piece of debris sticking out of his forearm, where most of the blood was coming from, and he had tied strips of his shirt sleeve on either side in an attempt to immobilize it. The makeshift bandages were soaked with blood._ _ _

___Eskel tried once again to use his injured arm to remove the glove on his right hand, which only caused him to swear in pain and the debris to move into a more awkward position._ _ _

___And then Jaskier realized that wasn’t debris going _into _Eskel’s arm, that was a bone sticking _out _._____ _ _

___One of his bones was sticking out of his forearm at a 30* angle, the edges jagged and sharp, and the strips of cloth were an attempt to keep what had just happened from happening._ _ _

___“Your arm…” Jaskier said, feeling his heart drop into his stomach. Eskel didn’t say anything until he had managed to get his other glove off and had handed it to Jaskier._ _ _

___“It looks worse than it feels.” That didn’t convince Jaskier at all but he didn’t really have the strength to comment on Eskels Witchery lack of self-preservation._ _ _

___So he said nothing and replaced his own soaked and chilled gloves with Eskel’s giant ones. They were warm and surprisingly dry on the inside, the fur feeling nice against his hands. If Jaskier froze to death, at least he wouldn’t lose his fingers to frostbite. Satisfied that Jaskier wasn’t going to keel over from a grievous wound anytime soon, Eskel hooked his good arm under one of Jaskier’s and brought him to his feet. That was easier said than done though. His legs were mostly numb and he barely had the energy to stand in the first place._ _ _

___Jaskier placed his head on Eskel’s shoulder, trying to give himself any leverage he could. The world was swaying and spots danced in his vision, but Eskel held him firm against his body._ _ _

___“It’s not ideal, but we should be able to the Keep this way. Just don’t go passing out on me.” Jaskier could only offer a nod in reply. They tentatively took a step together, and then another, and quickly started making their way to Kaer Morhan. Eskel talked to Jaskier the entire way, hoping that by doing so he could prevent him from slipping off._ _ _

___“Do you remember last year where Lambert and Geralt had that hunting contest? Lambert was such a sore loser, staring daggers at him every time he ate meat. Remember how he had to eat his meals raw for a week?”_ _ _

___Jaskier nodded. “He...he was pissed. More than...useual.” He chuckled to himself, despite his mouth being numb and his tongue barely responding._ _ _

___“Lambert’s always been like that, for years and years. Default state is angry. Like a raccoon. What do you think? Is he raccoon-ish?”_ _ _

___“I can see...that. If a raccoon could...make pranks.”_ _ _

___“They have little hands, they could if they _really _wanted to.”___ _ _

___“Is...is there a raccoon school of Witchers?” Jaskier’s brain wasn't functioning right then, too cold for anything. But he could at least have some fun before he died._ _ _

___Eskel laughed, the laugh turning into a wincing cough when he jostled his injuries, but he kept a smile on his face._ _ _

___“I’m glad you’ve still got your sense of humor. If you’ve still got that, you’ll be fine.” He held Jaskier closer, making sure the latter didn’t fall over. Jaskier noticed that Eskel was now shivering. If the cold was starting to get to *him*, then Jaskier’s chances of survival fell drastically._ _ _

___That realization shook Jaskier to his core. He felt his blood ran cold, and not from the hypothermia._ _ _

___“Jaskier? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”_ _ _

___“I’m gonna die...arent I?” Eskel was silent for a moment, taken aback by his question._ _ _

___“No, no you’re going to be ok. We’re almost to the Keep.”_ _ _

___“I don’t want to die...not yet. Please…”_ _ _

___“You just need to hold on for a few more minutes. Stay awake, keep moving.” Eskel pleaded, sounding incredibly worried._ _ _

___“I...I don’t think...I can…” He stumbled for a few steps, before falling forward, Eskel not being able to hold onto him. Jaskier landed in the snow, face first, knocking all the air out of him and the wet cold snow encapsulating him once again. Quickly, Eskel pulled him to a sitting position, unable to get Jaskier to his feet. He pulled Jaskier onto his lap so he wasn't in direct contact with the snow, and held him tight as he could with one arm in an attempt to keep him warm._ _ _

___“Hold on Jaskier, just hold on. Keep fighting.” Jaskier couldn't even keep his head up anymore, leaning into Eskel to keep from falling back into the cold embrace of the snow._ _ _

___Eskel kept talking to Jaskier, but he couldn't comprehend most of what he heard, things becoming muffled and indistinct. Then, Eskel was shaking Jaskier awake and calling out._ _ _

___“Jaskier!? Wake up, Vesemir and Lambert are almost here. They’ll save you. You _just _can’t die right now!”_ _ _ __

___He was able to open his eyes one last time, to see a very blurry white-haired figured running towards them._ _ _


End file.
